Dib dashed downstairs and into the kitchen, he was going to be late if he didn't hurry. He had already missed the bus and would have to walk to school. He looked around, Gaz was gone, probly on the bus. He saw a piece of toast with grape jelly on it sitting on the table that Gaz had left for him. He smiled, at least Gaz cared, even a little. He grabbed the toast, and stuffing it in his mouth he hitched his backpack off the floor and ran out the door. No more than 1 minuet later he heard the thunder boom overhead and a wall of rain came gushing down out of the sky.

"Just great..."

He pulled the collar of his trenchcoat up and drew it tighter around himself. He walked slowly, letting the sound of the rain around him drown out the drone of his own thoughts. He didn't care about being late anymore, he was actually thinking of skipping school and just lying down on the ground in the rain, and never getting up again.

He seriously considered it for a moment.

More than a moment.

"Forget this...."

Dib sat down on a bench beside the sidewalk and decided to just sit and think a while. He brushed his wet bangs out of his eyes and looked up at the falling rain.

"Why me.....I'm not a bad person....am I lord?"

"Talking to yourself again, Dib?"

Dib turned quickly to face the source of the voice, only to find out that it was the object of his affections.

Zim, sitting right beside him, on the bench, holding a black umbrella and smirking.

"Leave me alone Zim." Dib tried to say these words with a harsh voice but he still couldn't help the hot blush creeping up to his cheeks.

"Hmph, fine." And with that, Zim got up and left. Dib bit his lip slightly and picked up his backpack to follow Zim a safe distance away.

If only to be this close to him...

For just a short time...

Without the rocks, and arrows....


Dib had arrived at school about 2 minuets before the late bell rang, He dashed up to the forth floor and quickly tried to undo the lock on his locker.

"Come onnnn...hurry hurry...Yes!" Dib shouted as he pulled open his locker and put his things away, he zipped up his backpack, grabbed his books for his first few periods and began the run down to his first floor Chemistry class. He encountered a group of girls standing on the stairs and talking, just standing!

"Arr!" He sat on the railing and slid down past the chattering girls to dash madly towards the end of the hall. The late bell rang just as he had burst into class, he made it!

Suddenly someone put their foot out.

"W-woah!" Dib tripped over the person's foot and went flying across the room into a table with beakers of water sitting on it. Four of the beakers crashed onto the floor around him and broke. He stared pathetically up at Mr. Brunei who was towering over him.

"Glad you could join us Dib....detention."

Dib groaned and got off the floor to slink to his seat in the third row, he could hear snickers all around him. He put his head in his hands and waited out the class.

45 minuets later the class ended and everyone rushed out of the room, chattering and gossiping. Dib ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, he had free period next and decided to spend it in the library. He was walking down the hall when he heard voices drifting his way.

"...wrong with me? I....can't get the......living."

Dib's eyes shot open, it was Zim.

"...can't he love me...? I just......die..." laughing.

"Oh my god...." whispered Dib as he peered around the corner. There was Zim and a group of other children, mostly girls, and what was worst of all was....Zim had Dib's journal open. He was reading it aloud! How did he get it?! Then Dib came to a horrible realization, Zim had been at the bench this morning, he must have taken it out of Dib's backpack. Dib kicked himself for not noticing something was up, what was he going to do?

"I love....so much. I just want to..."

Oh god, that last page! They mustn't hear that! Dib leaped form around the corner.

"Zim, give that back!"

Zim smirked and closed the journal shut with a snap. He menacingly walked toward Dib and Dib forced himself not to blush from being near Zim. Dib narrowed his eyes and held out his hand.

"Give it back, now." He tried to say in his most threatening voice.

Zim grinned evilly....."Why should I," then, to Dib's surprise, Zim grabbed his hand and thrust the sleeve of his trench coat upward, revealing the large scar from earlier, "when you're cut up like a fucking thanksgiving turkey!"

Dib's eyes widened in surprise and all his courage left him as he tried to pull his hand away, to no success. Zim had too strong a grip on him. Dib pulled harder and harder until Zim suddenly let go and Dib stumbled backward, hitting his head on the wall. Dib sat there in a dazed state and tried to shake himself out of it.

Zim smiled down at him. "I'll be keeping this Dib, it's such an interesting little doorway into your life."

Dib shook his head and pushed himself to his knees weakly. Zim laughed and started to walk away when he felt his face slammed into the floor. Dib had pushed himself against the wall to tackle Zim from behind. Zim growled and shoved Dib away.

"You bitch!" He raised his fist back.

Dib felt himself falling to the floor once again as fist connected with jaw. Zim took this opportunity to pummel Dib into a bloody pulp while he was down. Dib could no longer defend himself.

"Don't pass out. Don't pass out. Don't pass out. Don't pass out....." he kept repeating in his mind,

Unfortunately for Dib, his will power wasn't very strong. The last thing he saw was Zim throwing Dib's journal onto the floor, screaming "Keep your fucking diary." And walking away. Then Dib's world went black.


Dib awoke in a slightly familiar room, the nurse's office, he supposed. He groaned slightly and touched his forehead where a large bruise had formed. He rolled over onto his side only to discover a sharp piercing pain in his ribs. He nuzzled his face against the pillow and closed his eyes, not wanting to move.

"C'mon, get up. Can't expect you to get better if you just lie there like a frog on a log."

Dib's brain slowly registered the voice, it was the school nurse. Miss D. Webber. Everyone called her D though. She was a nice lady, took her nursing seriously and could spot fakers a mile away. He slowly and painfully got up, his vision was blurry.

"Took quite a beating there kid, you know who did this?"

Dib's brain screamed "Zim" but his heart screamed "I don't know."

"I don't know...it's all a blur..." he didn't want to get Zim in trouble, "How long have I been here?"

"Bout 2 hours, it's 11:25. I'm afraid you'll have to serve detention for fighting, even though it looked pretty one sided." She laughed.

"Oh ha ha ha..."

"Sorry darlin. You're gonna be sent home to recover, you'll have to see the counselor tomorrow and also serve your detention. From what I can tell there's nothing broken, but you should rest. Here, take this." She handed Dib a pink slip of paper.

Dib took it, "....thank you...." Dib painfully got up and left the nurses office, luckily it was the middle of a period so no one was in the halls, except a few of the seniors who gave him pity looks as he passed. He went to his locker, got his stuff, and started to head home.

The walk home was a long one because of how slowly Dib had to walk because of the pain in his ribs. When he finally got to his house he groaned and leaned against the fence when he suddenly heard a voice beside him.

"Got in a little tussle, eh?"

Din turned to look beside him. There, leaning against the fence, was a tall man dressed all in gray, hat and everything.

"Yea....guess so...."

"Look....I'v got something that can help you..." said the Gray Man, as he reached into his pocket.

* * * * * * * * * *

I must admit this fic isn't going as I had planned, yaro. The horror is coming soon, I promise, eeeeee.